Tianjin: The Fourth Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo (TISIE), which concluded in north China's Tianjin Municipality, showcased growing artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities in the shipping industry.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the four-day expo, which opened on June 2, covered fields such as green shipping, maritime equipment, and logistics services. It aimed to promote global shipping cooperation, industry investment, and trade exchange. The expo, themed "Shipping to the World and Navigating Towards the Future with AI Leading New Opportunities for the Development of Ports and Shipping," was organised by Zhenwei International Exhibition Group.
Shanghai International Shipping Institute chief information officer, Xu Kai, highlighted that China has built the world's largest network of automated container terminals. This includes notable breakthroughs in unmanned shore cranes, intelligent guided vehicles, and automated yards. Xu emphasized that terminal equipment should dynamically optimize based on factors like vessel arrivals, weather changes, and cargo flow fluctuations, necessitating AI's evolution from command execution to autonomous reasoning and collaborative intelligence.
Meanwhile, Lloyd's List Intelligence chief executive officer, Waqas Samad, underscored China's pivotal role in the global shipping industry as the world's largest fleet owner, shipbuilder, and producer of shipping containers. He stated that China represents the future of shipping through its combination of connectivity, technology, and intelligence, beyond its scale and infrastructure advantages.
China Merchants Group Limited vice president, Feng Boming, noted that AI is evolving from a decision-support tool to an intelligent agent capable of understanding intentions, invoking tools, and executing tasks autonomously. However, Feng cautioned that this increased autonomy brings greater security responsibilities. New security risks and governance challenges are emerging alongside AI adoption, posing fresh challenges to the industry's orderly development and safe operations.